Start speaking Japanese in minutes, and grasp the language, culture and customs in just minutes more with Ultimate Getting Started with Japanese Box Set, a completely new way to learn Japanese with ease! Ultimate Getting Started with Japanese Box Set will have you speaking with proper pronunciation from the very first lesson and arm you with cultural insight and other information to utterly shock and amaze your Japanese friends.

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Publisher's Summary

Start speaking Japanese in minutes, and grasp the language, culture, and customs in just minutes more with Ultimate Getting Started with Japanese Box Set, a completely new way to learn Japanese with ease! Ultimate Getting Started with Japanese Box Set will have you speaking with proper pronunciation from the very first lesson and arm you with cultural insight and other information to utterly shock and amaze your Japanese friends. This Box set includes our Learn Japanese - Introduction to Japanese and Learn Japanese – Gengo Beginner Japanese audiobooks.

Why are the audio lessons so effective?

Why are the audio lessons so effective? You'll receive a syllable-by-syllable breakdown of each word and phrase, so that you can say every word and phrase instantly. You'll repeat after the professional teacher, so that you can practice proper pronunciation. Quick cultural tips in each lesson will help you navigate your way even better. And above all, this is a fun and relaxed approach to grasping a lot of information quickly and easily.

You see, unlike other audiobooks, we actually teach both Japanese and Japanese culture. With each lesson, you will master a target phrase and key vocabulary. This is a complete lesson taught by a professional, bi-lingual teacher! This is NOT a vocabulary audiobook with just words and their translations. These 25 short and effective audio lessons will allow you to:

Speak Japanese within minutes of your first lesson

Understand the culture, customs, and people of Japan

Order the food you want in restaurants

Travel in taxis, trains, buses, and cars with confidence

Master manners, etiquette, and customs

Learn surprise phrases and tips that will leave your guests wondering where you learned them.

I absolutely love this audio book!! It had an American guy paired with a Japanese woman. The guy has been living in Japan for 11 years and the woman sounds so adorable, especially when she laughs. They not only tell you how to speak Japanese but they tell you about the culture and the island. The American talks about some mistakes he made and what other foreigners tend to make. I love that they have a conversation, then say it again but enunciate each syllable of each word, then they explain what it means.

I think a key aspect of helping someone learn a new language is enunciating and saying words slow enough for them to pick u the different sounds. Especially if the language has sounds that are not available in English.

It is foolish to think you can learn to speak any language without real interaction with teachers or native speakers, so taking live classes really becomes a necessity at some point, but using this audiobook as a complimentary way of practicing, improving vocabulary and learning grammatical points is a great way to improve your Japanese or at least learn expressions you can use to get you stated. The one thing it lacks is a chance for the listener to practice what they have learned, since mostly you listen, and the main interaction you get is repeating single words or short expressions. The actors are pleasant to listen to, the material is engaging and very rich in Japanese culture and applications for the material learned. I am very happy to have found it to assist me in my learning and will purchase other books from the same series. I wish there was a clear way to determine the order in which the publisher expects us to use the books in the series, since they seem to be randomly numbered at times. This one is definitely a keeper though.

Where does Learn Japanese - Ultimate Getting Started with Japanese Box Set, Lessons 1-55 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Scale 1-10....about a 5. But it's very different from the rest of my library

What did you like best about this story?

I like how they broke down the words and slowed it down to make it clear. They also took the time to explain not only the language but culture interpretations and writing. Even people who have trouble picking up languages will be able to learn from this book.

Did Peter Galante and Naomi Kambe do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Peter Galante was very good. He didn't rush and never forgot to explain things. Naomi Kambe was good for the most part; however her giggles seemed forced, contrived, and not genuine. Also some of the other sounds she threw in made it sound little porny (little humms that sounded more like groans). Although some people out there listening to this may not mind, or even like, this. Overall, both narrators were pleasant and easy to listen to for the lengthy period of time this book takes to go through. Both Peter and Naomi are excellent teachers and a credit to this instructional lesson.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I enjoyed listening to it for the most part (did my best to tune out Naomi's little humms) and learn from it.

Any additional comments?

When throwing in non verbal sounds you need to be careful that they don't come out sounding like something you'd here in an R rated movie.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It's ok.1. This has lots of playful banter. I thought it was all right as I think it is intended to motivate you to stick with it. If you are a more serious student you may hate this. As a light easy podcast it would work. I recomend going to their website, trying out their free introductory podcasts and if you like it continuing there.2. I felt the order in which they introduced words was reversed. First, in full converstions at full speed, then slow speed, then the meaning of the new words. I often would have to rewind at that point to the beginning to try and "hear" the all the words in the sentence and not just a long string of sounds.3. The lesson and pdf reference all mention appendixes that go into detail. It isn't in the downloadable pdf nor can I find it on audible, nor on the non-member section of Japanese pod 101. This is a glaring ommision, as they cover only time words in their sample conversation and then say look at the appendix for all the time related words. So I know how to say half past six and four in the morning but not any other times. This is the main reason why I say this is a crude adaptation, they have overlooked including the appendices, which are essential to this course.4. Finally there are no chapters, so you can't jump from lesson to lesson, just rewind and forward through all 17 hours of audio. This is annoying, especially in light of point #2.

Would you ever listen to anything by Innovative Language Learning again?

Don't think so.

Was Learn Japanese - Ultimate Getting Started with Japanese Box Set, Lessons 1-55 worth the listening time?

It depends. I would reccomend it as a quick refresher prior to traveling to Japan for cultural points and a few useful stock phrases. If you are interested in learning the language in a systematic complete way, I would look for something else, or consider joining the japanese pod 101 community.

The lessons are fast paced, but there is a LOT of useless chatter between the "instructor" and the student? that does NOT need to be there. They are trying to sound like 'this is such a fun thing to do' Not a fan of asking "don't you do it like this?" Oh yeah, you can do it like that, well sometimes, maybe, etc.

I want the instructors in an audio book not to waste a lot of time with gibberish or maybe you can do that "I think so". I want the instructors to "know" how to use the language.

What was most disappointing about Innovative Language Learning’s story?

Too much idle chatter not related to the actual words you are trying to learn.The breakdown of words into syllables that included sounds that were not there when spoken normally. You can't fool me. The sound is not there at all when you say the word, then when broken down extra syllables show up? it's either there or not. Like saying "Can't" = "Kanatai Nattau Tae." No it doesn't and you can hear the difference.

Would you be willing to try another one of Peter Galante and Naomi Kambe ’s performances?

Not really. Maybe a story, but not a lesson.

Any additional comments?

This may work for some people. I was disappointed with the overall way the lesson was handled. Voices were ok, but I don't want to have to remember parts of a lesson the instructors weren't quite sure of or the banter back and forth. Learning a language it difficult enough without all the extra chatter.

What would have made Learn Japanese - Ultimate Getting Started with Japanese Box Set, Lessons 1-55 better?

If they would have slowed down and given you time to repeat the same words over and over. Instead they move on constantly to new phrases, so you never get the ones you just heard. Unless you were sitting down with workbook in front of you, there is no way you're going to learn anything with this.

Has Learn Japanese - Ultimate Getting Started with Japanese Box Set, Lessons 1-55 turned you off from other books in this genre?

Yes.

What didn’t you like about Peter Galante and Naomi Kambe ’s performance?

Well, to start this review I have to say that I was not expecting results. My shock was that this is a very educational language course ! You learn not only the language but also the culture and customs of Japan.

I am soo pleased to have purchased this. I have progressed both in the Japanese language and also the culture! Packing my bags to go to Japan!

18 of 20 people found this review helpful

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